About the Reddwerks Name
We are often asked about our corporate name, whether we misspelled red or were just trying to be different. The word redd—which means to put right, to clear a path—has had a very long and colorful history. While redd has fallen out of use today, it dates back to the 15th century and the beginnings of the great Renaissance in Europe.
We believe a similar Renaissance has recently begun in logistics, thanks to powerful opportunities with software and new lower-cost technologies. Our corporate mission is to help our clients and partners "put right" their businesses and to help them "clear a path" to their performance goals. With our innovative spirit, industry knowledge, highly trained teams, and market timing we can create for you a new style of facility that is defined by its improved accuracy, performance, flexibility, transparency, agility, and complementary order-filling technologies.
The Oxford English Dictionary (Clarendon Press, Oxford) 2nd Edition, Volume XIII, Page 406:
redd (red),v.2 Sc. And north.dial. (exc. in sense 6 a). Forms: 5- red, 6- redd, (7,9 redde), 8 rade. Pa t. and pa. pple. 7-redd, 9 red; also 5 reddyt, 6 reddit. [ = MLG. and Du. redden, in the same senses, but the orgin and relationship of the forms is not clear. It is possible that they are independent developments from ME. reden and the equivalent LG. rêdden, reiden (see REDE v.2), in Eng. by assimilation of the vowel of the pres. and inf. to that of the pa. t. and pa. pple. (cf. KEP v.). Most of the senses of the word are also represented under RID v. ]
1.a. trans. To clear (a space, the way, etc.).
[Word first used in..] c 1425 WYNTOUN Cron. v. xii. 1180 Thare he begowth to red a grownd Quhare that he thowcht a kyrk to fownd. c 1470 Henry Wallace x. 404 All hym about was reddyt a gret rowm. 1513 DOUGLAS Æneis x. vii. 30 With swerdis dynt behuffis ws,. Throw amyddis our ennemys red our way. a 1578 LINDESAY (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 314, I sall pase anmd put zone theiffis of the ground, and red the gait into your grace. 1822 SCOTT Nigel iv, It wad have red the gate for my ain little bill. 1880 Antrim & Down Gloss., Red the Road! Clear the way!
b. To clear or clean out (something that is stopped up).
1497 Sc. Treas. Acc. 14 May, Item for ane cabil tow to stede the well of Dunbar quhen it was red. 1541 Records of Elgin (New Spald. Club) I. 66 That all channellis and wennellis be red be the ownaris. a 1795 Robin Hood & Beggar lxxx. In Child Ballads III. 163/2 Or any one of them could red their eyne, Or yet a glimmering could see. 1813 W. BEATTIE Poems 21 (Jam.), Now and then, to red her head, She takes a pickle snuff. 1881 Gregor Folk-lore ix. 51 A bunch of stars.. to red the tobacco pipes.
2. a. To disentangle. Also in fig. context.
1513 DOUGLAS Æneis v.i.28 Commandis he every feir, Do red thair takillis, and stand hard by thair geir. 1725 RAMSAY Gentle Sheph. I. i, Ye..have sae kind Redd up my ravel'd doubts, and clear'd my mind. 1782 [D. GRAHAM] Hist. Buckhaven 5 They can neither bait a hook nor rade a line. 1876 Mid-Yorksh. Gloss., Red, to unloose, or unravel; to unriddle. 1895 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick iii. 32 It was a raivelled hasp he had to redd. absol. 1737 Ramsay Sc. Prov. (1750) 26 Fools revle, and wise men redd. 1768 Ross Helenore II. 86 Among us a' a ravell'd hesp ye've made, Sae now, put too your hands, an help to red.
b. To arrange put right (business of any kind); to clear up (one's affairs).
1500-20 DUNBAR Poems lx. 44 His erandis for to ryne and red. 1824 SCOTT Redgauntlet let. ix, Nor do I know if his affairs are yet well redd. c. to redd the marches: to fix the boundaries exactly, Also fig.
1596 [ see REDDING vbl. Sb.2 I]. 1683 in Shields Faithful Contendings (1780) 70 Mr. Gillespie, and many others, have redd marches so well, that they have left nothing for us to do. 1835 T. ROSE Rambles 163 (Northumbld. Gloss.), In this neighbourhood—between Keilder and Larriston—the precise boundaries of each kingdom are 'ill to red.'
3. a. To put in order, make tidy, by clearing away whatever is in disorder or is unnecessary.
a 1558 Sym & his Bruder (Bann. MS.) 31 Thus quhen thai had reddit thair ragis, To Rome they war inspirit. 1582-8 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 236 The Regent. causit masonis to begin to redd the bruisit wallis, and to repair the foirwork. 1637 RUTHERFORD Lett. (1862) I. 323 Waiting on till..the great hall be redd for the meeting of that joyful couple. 1786 Har'st Rig cxxxix, The stalwart Chelsea man (Whase now ta'en in to redd the barn). 1829 BROCKETT N.C. Words, Red, to put in order, to clear. 1847 H.S. RIDDELL Poems 16 To redd the house and sweep the floor.
b. To comb, arrange (the hair).
1715 RAMSAY Christ's Kirk Gr. II. v, Some redd their hair, some set their bands. 1879 MISS JACKSON Shropsh. Word-bk., Red,..to comb out the hair. 4. To remove (persons or things) from a place; to clear away.
1546 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 50 Apoun xv dayis warnying that scho may red hir geir furth of the samin. 1569 Ibid. 675 To remove, devoid, and red thame selffis, thair servandis and propir gudis..furth of the said College. 1826 J. Wilson Noct. Ambr. (1856) III. 349 The shielings that we used to come upon..have 'been a' red awa!'
5. a. To part or separate (combatants).
15. Pebbles to Play xv, For dust that the day Mycht na man se ane styme To red thame. 1593 Sc. Acts Fas. VI, c.35 Hurt slayne or mutilat in redding and putting sindre parties meitand in armes. 1725 RAMSAY Gentle Sheph. IV. i, A stout battle. Mause endeavours to redd them. 1814 SCOTT Wav. lxvi, To fetch the Chevalier to redd Mr. Wauverley and Vich Ian Vohr. 1830-3 CARELTON Traits Irish Peas. (1843) I. 68 We endeavoured in all our power to red them.
absol. 1535 STEWART Cron. Scot. II. 667 Cum on! God schaw the richt! Now is moir tyme quhen no man is to red. 1573 Satir. Poems Reform. xli. 75 Allace! what sall cum of the rest Except repentance rin and red?
b. To settle, decide (a plea), put an end to (a quarrel, fray, etc.).
c 1575 Raid of Reidswire xi, Up rose the laird to red the cumber, Which would not be for all his boast. 1629 SIR W. MURE True Crucifix 140 God..Sent in the flesh his Christ the plea to redde. 1681 COUVIL Whigs Supplic. (1751) 55 When they the fray intend to redd. 1768 ROSS Helenore II. 78 Come here, and red this threap, for ye can tell The very truth. 1814 SCOTT Wav. Liv, To stick him under the other gentleman's arm while he is redding the fray.
6. a. With up. To put in order; to make neat or trim. (Also in U.S. and general use.)
Also to clear up by discussion or explanation, to criticize sharply, assail with invective, etc. (see Eng. Dial. Dict.)
1718 RAMSAY Christ's Kirk Gr. III. vii, Right well red up and jimp she was. 1768 ROSS Helenore III. 121 Anither forward unto Bony-Ha', To tell that there things be red up an' bra'. 1820 SCOTT Abbot xxvi, Doctor Lundin failed not to be a confused sloven, and his..housekeeper, whose life, as she said, was spent in 'redding him up' [etc.]. 1842 Spirit of Times (Philad.) 12 Aug. (Th.), I never used to red up their chamber without thinking of it. 1854 MRS. GASKELL North & S. xxxvii, To do something that she suggested towards redding up the slatternly room. 1864 ELIZ. A. MURRAY E. Norman I. 160, I left her and Kristy redding up their hair, and making themselves grand. 1887 P. M'NEILL Blawearie 99 The other pair on having the wall-face redd up fell to 'holing' once more. 1896 E. HIGGINSON Flower that grew in Sand 120 'You got your front room red up, Emarine?' 'No; I ain't had time to red up anything.' 1909 A. QUILLER-COUCH True Tilda xix. 258 They tumbled out and redded up the place in a hurry. 1912 MULFORD & CLAY Buck Peters i 19, I guess you two men can take care of each other while I red up. 1951 L. CRAIG Singing Hills xix. 181 You take this baby while I redd up the room. 1977 J. AIKEN Five-Minute Marriage ix. 141 The rooms..are all clean and redd up, sir.
b. With out: To bring out from disorder, to comb out, etc.
1818 SCOTT Rob Roy xxii, I canna see how you..can redd out the business ye're come down about. 1881 Leicestersh. Gloss. s.v., As I was redding' out my hair. 1893 STEVENSON Catriona 193 If his story was properly redd out [etc.].